NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17419, 1 April 1922, Page 9

NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT. A new book by Mr Shaw Desmond, '"Labour: Tho Giant with the 1< eet of Clay," is discussed in our leader columns to-day. (London: CollinsThrough Whitcombe and Touibs.) TEN YEARS AT THE COTJUT OF ST. JAMES (1895-1905). Baron von Eekhardstein, who for a. good many years was acting-Ambassa-dor for Germany in London, lias written a book of extraordinary interest, which is translated and edited by Professor George Young. This volume was unfortunately eclipsed, so far as tho public is concerned, by Lady Gwendolin Cecil's biography of ner father; otherwise it would have been hailed as ono of the most important biographies of the year. The author was an admirable diplomatist and a trained diarist. He was a very good friend of England. and throughout the period of his residence there he was a very hard worker for good Anglo-German relations. Unfortunately his talents, and the talents and goodwill of other Germans who were anxious for an AngloGerman friendship, were rendered useless by. the stupidity of the Kaiser and .the rottenness of the system which dictated the line that German policy should take.

In his preface the Baron says:— During the WiLlieLminic Era the fate of tie German people lay more or less in the hands of parvenus and prigs, whose one idea was to keep themsdvea in the good graces of the Sovereign, and to keep him i'S tar aa possible in the dark. There cculd, therefore. never be any question of a policy consecutive in itself and consonant with the true interests of the German people. In its placs we had a policy of self-deception, and sentimentality, and one, moreover, continually exposed to erratic eccentricities.

Under the rule of the Emperor, from the very beginning of his career, it became tlie unpardonable sin for a diplomat abroad to represent things as they were. Nothing, as the Baron says, was taken any notice of that could be fitted into fallacies governing' the great fools' paradise in Berlin. No one had any use for the truth, or even for the most part knew what was truth. It can be easily imagined that the Baron had many collisions with his Foreign Office, but these were compensated for by the excellent relations which lie established with nearly everyone in England of first-rate importance. He was a personal friend of King Edward and of most leading Englishmen, and they got on exceedingly well together. Hl3 book, which Professor Young has translated into, that kind of clear, simple, and vigorous English which made Lord Frederick Hamilton's books such pleasant reading; is by no means intended as an indictment of the Kaiser. Yet nothing is more obvious than that it was largely owing to the folly of the Kaiser that Germany missed the opportunities to get on the right track, which would have saved her from the final disaster. The book, needless to say, abounds in excellent stories and amusing recollections. This is a quite typical incident illustrating the "impossibility" of Wilhelm n.:—

Although the Kaiser was not present in person he had sent the "Meteor" to take port in the races. The "Meteor" had won the Queen's Cup; and the Prince of Wales had let me know that he would congratulate the Kaiser in his speech at the banquet of the Royal Yacht Squadron on the evening of the race for the King's Cup. He also told me that X was to reply. Accordingly, after congratulating the Kaiser, the Prince expressed hio regret that tho latter had been unable to accept the Queen's invitation to Osborne for the Co we 9 week. Nor was this speech without a certain political purpose. For after dinner the Prince said to me wEen we were alone, "Whatever I may think personally about my nephew, I wanted to say something publicly to show that the relations between the two Governments had again been put upon a normal and friendly basis."

Indeed, that August evening' it really looked as though the old differences between the Prince and the ICais.?r were as good as forgotten, and as though a new epoch of peace and friendship was beginning between the rulers antf the peoples of Great Britain and Germany! But these rosy dreams fled with the dawn. For the very next morning there was posted up in the hall of the Yacht Club a long telegram from the Kaiser to the committee of the Royal Yacht Squadron in which he roundly abused the Race Committee. One passage in thiß telegram ran thus: "Your handicaps are perfectly appalling." This waa a cruel blow, for I knew what effeef it wquld have on British psychology. That same afternoon the Plince of Wales sent asking ine to ooma to him on the "Osborne." When he saw me he shook his head and sari: "It is really enough to make one despair. Here am I taking the greatest trouble to put the Kaiser straight to some extent with the British public after all that has happened of late years—end here he is beginning again to throw mud at us." Then he went on: "You know very well yourself what will be the effect on the British of such complaints aB the Kaiser has made to the committee of the Royal Yacht Squadron, and how sensitive we are about our national reputation for fair play in 'sport. Besides, I really don't know what he means. The best proof tliat our handicaps are fair is that his 'Meteor' won the Queen's Cup yesterday." I tohl the Prince that I quite agreed with him, and begged,him to seo - that the telegram, was not communicated to the Press; upon which he said tliat ha would at once go on shore and da hia beat. Meeting me that evening he told me he thought lie had succeeded, and he added, "I don't envy you that Sisyphus job that you have with the Kaiser." (London: Thornton Butterworth.)

PAINTED WINDOWS. Having given the world his political reflections in the "Mirrors of Downing

Street,'' and his social reflections in the "Glass of Fashion," «'A Gentleman with the Duster'* has now turned to the pulpits, and in "Painted "Windows'' provides us with twelve studies in religious personality. On the title page lie quotes from Lowell: "It was simply a struggle for fresh air in which, if the windows could not be opened, there was danger that panes would he broken, though painted with images of saints and martyrs. Light coloured by these reverent effigies was none the more respirab'.e for being picturesque." This rather exciting promise of a running amok is hardly fulfilled by the book, because the '"Gentleman with the Duster ' is not simply throwing bricks at the pulpits- He deals with Bishop Gore, Dean J-Rge, Knox, Dr. L. P. Jacks, Bishop HensTey Henson, Miss Maud Royden, Canon Barnes, General Booth, Dr. Orchard, Bishop Temple and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Everybody, we suppose, is familiar with the peculiarly gingery and sophisticated style of the "Gentleman with the Duster," and his talent for epigram. His writing in "Painted Windows'' is better than in the two earlier volumes, despite, or perhaps on account of, the'restrictions which his subjects place upon him. He allows it to bo seen that he has personal acquaintance with many of his subjects, though possibly his acquaintance may be merely that of the particularly favoured interviewer. There are many unkind and irritating things in the book, and most people will find something to disagree with in every one of his studies. Most people will think, however, that if he has not cracked the painted windows, as he would like to do. lie haSj at any rate, written a book which will njake them far more interesting to intelligent people than tliey have hitherto been. (London: Mills and Boone.)

NEW NOVELS. Discerning readers long ago recognised the talent of Mr A. S. M. Hutchinson, whose "Happy Warrior" and "The Clean Heart" deepened the admiration for the author which was felt by those w'lio had enjoyed his first merry book, "Once Aboard the Lugger.'' His latest novel, "If Winter Conies," is having an enormous success, which it thoroughly deserves. It is a fine piece of art Mid a very moving story—sound craftsmanship infonned by that humane and pitiful spirit which is far too little visible in the work of the novelists of to-day. Mark Sabre is the tragic hero of the story, married to a woman empty and cruel, cruel with "the dull insensibility of a cart-wheel, and he is associated in business with two hateful men. iSabro disciplines himself to patience and obedience. The war coines partially to wreck his life, and the wreck is completed by his generous kindness to an unfortunate girl. All tha currents of his life gradually set in to make a tide of fearful disaster whidh overwhelms him; but he is plucked from the wreck by the woman who from the first was tho one bright and happy light in the darkness of his life. There are not many characters in the book, so that Mr Hutchinson has room to paint them carefully and oompletcly, with the result that there are some admirable portraits of figures in English provincial life during the war. (London Hodder and Stoughton. Through Whitcombe and Tombs.)

The author of "Alf's Button," that exceedingly amusing book which w;is turned into a rather poor film, has attempted to exploit onoo more the stock device of t)he interceding emissary from fairyland. The young novelist who is working himself into a brain fever to complete a book which will enable him to marry the very charming girl of his dhoice, is visited unexpectedly by his fairy godmother, who informs him" that he can express, a wish on the first day of every month. In a fit of annoyance the fairy lias turned his neighbour, a thoroughly respectable solicitor, into a-black-beetle. The novelist's first wigli is to write 4 successful novel. His wish, is achieved, but the novel is of a kind which brings anything but happiness to his friends ana himself, although it brings him great notoriety and ample ' His chief anxiety is to restore fee wretched beetle to its proper shape, and he and his lady-love have a most unhappy and exciting time. Everything ends as it ought to. There is plenty of surprise and movement in the story, but "Alf's Button'' was a sucoeea not easily to be completely repeated. (Loudon: Herbert Jenkins.)

Mr P. G. Wodehouse's public is nov; a very large one, and he has to his credit a very long string of amusing •books. The "Clicking of Cuthbert'' is ; hio latest work. It mainly consists of 6hort stories which have alieady appeared in print, chieby in the excellent "Strand Magazine." They all Jiave a. background of golf, which lends itself admirably to Air Wodehouse's curious humour and marvellous command of tho dialect of Percy and Cuthbert. Although thia is about the tenth of Mr Wodeliouso's books, and although thesa stories are all about golf, and although golf h«s been exploited by hundreds of writers and is tho subject of thousands of jokes and stories, only the utterly jaded reader will be -able to refrain from. chuckles over these stories to d by the oldest member. Mr Wodehouse's invention remains as lively and subtle as when he first came before the public. (London : Herbert Jenkins. Through Whitcombe and Tombs.)

OTHER PUBLICATIONS. We have received through Messrs Gordon «md Uotcn several numbers ot VVeiuon's Laaies Journal ami iiarmswortn s Home i'asuions. The former is an old friend of women everywhere, and it maintains us exceuen.ee suiprisingly, even when the stimiiiua of women's interest in clothes is fully allowed lor. The April number is brimful of uesigus and patterns the cut out pieces being lor a coat and skirt, a one-piece dress and fasuionablo waistcoat blouse. The inexhaustible possibilities of the knitted hat and irocK are further exploited, and there is the usual large budget of notes on matters of feminine interest. Harmsworth's "Home fashions" is a newer publication, but of an excellence not interior to its older rival. The March number contains some peculiarly 'beautiluL jumper patterns, although for the knitters there are the admirable "Jumper Books."

From Messrs Gordon and Gotch wo have also received copies of the new "London," "GranJ/' "Premier" and "Yellow" Magazines. The "Premier" has amongst its contributors llufael S.ibatini, i ( "red. M. White, and Valentine Williams, the creator of "Clubfoot." Hie "Grand's" contributors include Marjoric Bowen, W. Douglas Newton, and Eklgar Wallace. The "Yellow Magazine," which printed as a serial that clever novel "Greensea Tsland," has a good collection of stories of action and sentiment. The "London" has stories by Hugh Walpole and John Buchan, and" there are contributions from (Sir Basil Thomson and Mr Marconi.

"Art in Australia" now appears in a new form. The page is larger, and the stiff paper rovers are dispensed with, the cover being limp paper, decorated with a good Brangwyn picture. It is still to appear quarterly, but at a lower price. The standard of the first series is fully maintained in the reproductions in half-tone, line and colour. The literary contributions are noi of high merit, and it is plainly upon its fine pictures and its faithfully written discussions of pictorial art that the success of this periodical must depend. The new number is of special interest for its inclusion of a number of striking and characteristic pen drawings by Gorman Lindsav.—(Through Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd.)